Valencia

I stayed at the Ayre Astoria Palace in the center and loved the hotel and the city. I walked everywhere, including to/from the train station with my wheelie bag.

I stayed at the Catalonia Excelsior on my last visit to Valencia in November 2015. The hotel is great - reasonably priced, clean, comfortable, and conveniently located for sightseeing, shopping, and visiting bars/restaurants.

Anywhere in the city center (centered on the cathedral). I stayed nearer the ring park, about a 5 minute walk from the cathedral. Anywhere between the train station and cathedral would be good too.

The Science Museum campus is a bit away from the center - you'll need to take a bus to reach it. Even if you don't want to visit the museums, go see it for the modern architecture by Santiago Calatrava. You can also walk along the ring park (along an old riverbed) there or back; a long walk but pleasant.

I'm also spending about 5 days in Valencia in July. I'd like to know what's to see there. I'll be spending the balance of my vacation (another two weeks) on the beach in Sitges, so it's not so important that I have quality beach time in Valencia, unless of course the beach is unbelievable. Thanks for any suggestions.

I stayed at the AC Hotel and also the Hotel Turia - They were both easy to get from the train station on the local bus. While the AC is very nice, I preferred the location of the other Hotel. The old town is the place to go! Lots to see, it is easy to walk around. I didn't stay inside the old town. There were lots of restaurants near both the hotels.